\ II.] SENSE OF SHAME. 299 



iere polygamy exists conjugal fidelity is very lax. This is 



ly true so far, that it chiefly exists among uncultivated or 

 f-civilized nations; but it can scarcely be said that polygamy, as 



jh, favours licentiousness. That polygamy frequently causes 

 sensions among the women and disturbs domestic peace 

 be true, but is far from being so general as asserted, 

 long the Zulu and other Kaffir tribes (by no means the only 

 iples) there prevails no jealousy among the women: the 



$t wife tries to gain so much as to enable her husband to 



irchase a second and a younger wife. Her authority is then 

 increased and her labour lightened. The women, in fact, pre- 

 fer polygamy to monogamy, as the love for their husbands is, 

 from being purchased, rarely a personal affection. 1 



It seems, thus, that polygamy is not so generally injurious 

 to family peace as is frequently assumed. Its social danger 

 lies in this, that, supposing the sexes equal in number, there 

 must be left a great many men unmarried, which may give 

 rise to other vicious habits. 



It can scarcely have been a feeling of shame which originally 

 induced man to cover his nakedness. The New Zealander 

 covers his body merely to protect himself from the cold, and by 

 no means to conceal his person. 3 Just as the half- civilized 

 Guanches were quite naked, not on all, but on some of the 

 Canaiy Islands, so the Puris are to this day, men and women ; 

 also the Patachos, Botocudes, etc. 3 This is also found to be 

 the case upon a small island near Apollonia ; only when they go 

 on a journey they cover themselves, and then scantily. 4 Especially 

 where business requires it, there is not the least reluctance to 

 expose the person. Caillie 5 saw in Bambarra, laundresses walk 

 about quite naked before strangers. It is therefore surprising 

 that the laws of the Susus (Mandingo people) condemn him to 

 slavery who looks at women bathing, 6 whilst in Yucatan both 



1 Steedinan, " Wanderings and Adventures in South Africa/' i, p. 240, 1835; 

 Delegorgue, i, p. 154 ; ii, p. 231. 



2 Crozet, " Reise durch d. Siidsee," p. 70, Leipz., 1783. 



3 Prinz Max, zu " Wied R. nach Brasil," i, pp. 136, 286, 333, 1820. 



4 Boudyk, " Voyage a la cote de Guinee," p. 158, 1853. 



5 " Voyage a Temboctu," ii, p. 115, 1833. 

 fi E. Clarke, " Sierra Leone," p. 33, 1846. 



